Yes jojoco, it is odd that our kids have school, especially considering they had Friday off...not sure why they didn't just have Monday instead (for a teacher work day). Brunch is over and went fine. I did make a green salad but didn't have time for 'something that swims'. I'm in the Midwest so nothing really swims around here except in a can. No time to run and get salmon but I'll remember that next time (I have to host again in 3 years so maybe I wont' remember!!) Lots of compliments on Woodie's Creme Brulee French Toast. I really liked the Potato Quiche - nice combo of green onion and swiss cheese. The fruit was yummy also - chocolate covered strawberries & bananas in particular. I have lots of leftover muffins and coffee cake, which will get eaten by DS's and DH (and me too!) Thanks for all of you help & suggestions.

A couple of my favorites that I think are awesome - the Sue's crumb cake is enough to feed an army. The other two don't need to be served piping hot - warm or room temp is fine, since you have to travel. Simpler Times French Toast (David - Lakeguy) Chef & Innkeeper Cindy Belford, Simpler Times Inn, Grand Lake O'the Cherokees 8 cups sweet French bread in 1" cubes 5 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups milk or Half & Half 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup brown sugar Put bread in large bowl. Whip eggs, sugar and nutmeg until light in color and thick. Add milk, stir and pour over bread. Cover and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, mix cup blueberries into bread and put in greased pan; sprinkle balance of blueberries on top, then pecans. In pan, melt butter and brown sugar until bubbly. Pour mixture over blueberries and pecans. Bake at 325 til puffed and brown - one hour. Marlen's Pull Apart Bacon Bread 1 pkg (10 oz) bacon 3/4 c green pepper, chopped 3/4 onion, chopped 3 tubes (7-1/2 oz each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 1/2 cup margarine, melted 1/2 c (2oz) shredded cheddar cheese Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving drippings. Crumble and set aside. In bacon drippings (or vegetable oil) cook green pepper and onion until tender. Cut biscuits in fourths and place in large bowl. Add sauteed vegetables, crisp bacon, margarine and cheese. Toss until thoroughly mixed. Place in a 10" tube pan coated with Pam. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Immediately invert onto serving plate. Serve warm. CRUMB CAKE BY SUE (from Sue/Cookingrvc) 1. Make Crumb mixture 2. Make Cake mix 3. Bake cake half way 4. Top with crumbs 5. Bake rest of the way 6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar CRUMBS 1 lb butter or margarine 2 Tsps. Vanilla 4 Cups Flour 2 Tsps. Cinnamon 1 Cup White Sugar In a large pot on the stove, melt the butter and add the vanilla and then mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Spread out with a large spoon and/or a spatula on a cookie sheet to dry out a little. Then make the cake. 1 Box of yellow cake mix. Make according to recipe on the box. Put the cake in a pan 11.5 inches by 17 inches. Bake the cake half way through the baking time (according to the package directions - this will be about 15-20 minutes). Take the crumb mixture and, using a spatula, lift it off the cookie sheet in chunks and, using your hands, crumble it up into big crumbs and put the crumbs on the cake (this will be a little messy) and continue baking until the end of the baking time. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a rack. Wait until the cake is completely cooled and dust generously with powdered sugar. Lots of powdered sugar!

CARAMEL APPLE FRENCH TOAST STRATA(I used sourdough bread) 10 slices French bread, cubed 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cubed 1 apple, sliced 1 cup sliced almonds 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 tbsp cinnamon 3/4 cup butter or margarine 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp corn syrup powdered sugar syrup Place half bread cubes into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with cream cheese cubes evenly. Sprinkle with apple slices. Top with remaining bread cubes and almonds. Beat eggs, milk and cinnamon; pour over bread mixture. (If making ahead of time, cover and refrigerate overnight) Combine butter, brown sugar and syrup in saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the top of mixture. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with syrup. ~*~No-Turn Omelet~*~ 8 eggs, beaten 2 cups cooked crumbled sausage or cubed fully cooked ham 2 cups shredded cheese 2 cups milk 1 cup crushed saltines (about 24 crackers) 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; pour into a greased shallow 3-qt. or 12-in.x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8-10 servings. **This dish may be prepared in advance, covered and refrigerated overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. ~*~Breakfast in Bread~*~ 6 eggs 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled 1 cup diced fully cooked ham 1 cup each shredded Monterey Jack, Swiss and sharp cheddar cheese In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to eggs with milk; mix well. Stir in bacon, ham and cheese. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Serve warm.SERVINGS: 9 Yield: 1 loaf. Note: Bake loaf may be frozen and reheated. This would be easy to bring. ~*~MUFFINS THAT TASTE LIKE DONUTS~*~ 1 3/4 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/3 cup oil 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In another bowl combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir only to combine. Make 12 muffins and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Shake muffins out immediately and while hot, dip into melted butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. **I would put some of the batter in the muffin pans, then add a heaping spoonful of strawberry or raspberry jam, then fill the muffin cups with the rest of the batter. Now you have Muffins That Taste Like Jelly Donuts! You could make these ahead of time.Yum! ~*~Pralines-and-Cream Pecan-Caramel Muffin~*~ Pecan Streusel Topping: 1 cup finely chopped pecans 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons butterscotch or caramel chips, optional 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks Cream Cheese Topping: 6 ounces cream cheese 1 large egg 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Muffin Batter: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teasoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup very finely chopped pecans 12 squirts of butterscotch or caramel sundae topping, optional Preheat oven to 375*. Arrange oven rack to middle position. Line a 12-cup large muffin pan (or two regular 12-cup pans) with paper liners and generously spray liners with nonstick spray. Place pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. For Pecan Streusel Topping, in a food processor, grind nuts, both sugars, and butterscotch chips, if desired, to make a fine meal. Add butter and pulse to blend. Put mixture into a mixing bowl. (This is a fine, gravelly streusel.) Without cleaning food processor bowl, blend Cream Cheese Topping ingredients well and then spoon out into another bowl. For Muffin Batter, blend butter with both sugars in food processor until well blended; then add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nuts and blend well, making sure no unblended sugar or butter is stuck in bottom of bowl. Scoop some batter into each muffin cup, filling about half full. Squirt on some sundae topping. Spoon on some Cream Cheese Topping and then carefully add streusel. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until muffins seem firm to the touch when gently pressed with fingertips. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 12 large muffins or 24 regular muffins

Here's some of my personal arsenal: Cinnabon Likes I make them the night before to the "rise and bake" part..Shape put in pan(s) and cover with plastic wrap..put in fridge over night..take out the next morning, remove plastic wrap...let come to about room temp and bake..frost...They can be warming up and baking while you prep/make something else, or do a final pass over on the bathrooms. LOL Banana Snack Cake For a breakfast food, just sprinkle with powdered sugar or a quick glaze of maple syrup and powdered sugar. Brunch Pizza Best recipe in the universe for easy and versatile Biscuits. I use butter instead of shortening. Make sure it's well "cut" and they are perfect! JP's Big Daddy Biscuits For ladies I recommend patting into 1/2" thick and cut with 1" cutter. You can make these the night before and bake off in the morning too..See the opening description. They do great that way too. Sausage gravy is sooooo easy. Brown some delish sausage. I like Jimmy Dean natural HOT (It's got a little kick but not really hot.) No fat in the pan when you are done or barely any..but still enough to sprinkle with a few T of flour, cook a bit..add in some garlic powder, fresh cracked pepper and milk to thicken. About a cup and a half for 1lb of sausage and 2T of flour. I make these once or twice a month. Grandma's English Muffin I free form them into "buns". Let rise then brown on a flat griddle or even a frying pan. Dry pans! I personally add 2 T of butter to the dough. You would suprise your ladies if you made homemade ones. They will feel very spoiled!